On your marks, get set… Go running in support of ALONE at this year’s VHI Women’s Mini Marathon

20th March 2017 ALONE, the charity that supports older people to age at home, is calling on women throughout the country to participate in the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon in aid of ALONE. The charity aims to raise money to go towards the provision of vital befriending services for older people who may be suffering from loneliness or isolation.

This year the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, 5th June. The course will be 10km long and the event will take place in Dublin City Centre. The VHI Women’s Mini Marathon is the largest all female event of its kind in the world and the largest one day charity event in Ireland.

Speaking about the event, CEO of ALONE Sean Moynihan said, “We are hoping that women from around Ireland pledge their support to the older people in our communities and run the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon on behalf of ALONE to raise much needed funds for our Befriending Service.”

He continued, “Through the years, a high proportion of our volunteers and donors have always been female. ALONE’s Befriending Service provides companionship to older people who are socially isolated through a weekly volunteer visit as well as a range of social events. We are continually developing the service to ensure that all older people who require it will have access to a quality assured befriending service.”

ALONE’s Befriending Service provides companionship to over 500 older people. Befriending Network Ireland, led by ALONE, is a national network of Befriending Services for vulnerable and older people that aims are to provide training, quality, transparency as well as a national voice for befriending. ALONE is the only Befriending Service in the country to have a quality award and are passionate about ensuring quality across Befriending Services.